Arc furnace for producing aluminum

Abstract

A method of producing aluminum is carried out in an electric arc furnace having primary and secondary zones separated by a divider constructed to permit the flow of molten but not gaseous products between zones. The method includes providing a charge of carbon into the primary zone containing a mixture of aluminum and aluminum carbide and providing a charge of alumina to the secondary zone, simultaneously heating the zones to react said carbon with the aluminum to form aluminum carbide in said mixture, flowing the mixture into the secondary zone, reacting the aluminum carbide in the mixture with alumina to form additional aluminum and an aluminum oxycarbide slag, flowing the slag to the primary zone for reaction with the aluminum carbide to form aluminum in the mixture, and tapping aluminum from the secondary zone.

I claim: 
     
       1. An electric arc furnace having a hearth, side and end walls and a roof to define a furnace chamber, said roof having a plurality of spaced apart apertures,   a plurality of electrodes, one of said electrodes extending through each aperture,   a partition in said furnace, said partition extending downwardly from said roof and between said side walls to divide said furnace into first and second zones,   the lower end of said partition being spaced above said hearth and said hearth being unobstructed between said end walls to permit molten material and slag having different densities to flow at all levels in the gap between said partition and said hearth and between said zones but preventing the passage of gaseous products between said zones,   first and second groups of said plurality of electrodes extending into each zone,   a first tap hole extending through one of said side walls and at a first elevation above said hearth but below the level of said partition and a second tap hole extending through the other of said side walls and between the level of said first tap hole and said partition whereby different molten materials may be removed through each tap hole,   the hearth in said first zone consisting primarily of a carbonaceous refractory material and the hearth in said second zone consisting primarily of an aluminum oxide refractory.   
     
     
       2. The electric arc furnace set forth in claim 1 and including means for sealing the electrode apertures in at least one of said zones. 
     
     
       3. The arc furnace set forth in claim 1 and including first and second material feed means respectively coupled to said roof on the opposite side of said partition for feeding materials into said first and second zones.